SWAC football is getting better

SWAC Commissioner Duer Sharp

HUNTSVILLE, Al. - For as long as anyone can remember, the Southwestern Athletic Conference has been a three-headed monster when it comes to football.

Grambling, Southern and Jackson State have been by far the best programs in the league. Grambling has won 22 SWAC championships. Southern has won 18 and Jackson State 16. Nobody else even comes close.

Since 1960, the trio has won or shared ...

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Former JSU's Shasta Averyhardt ties for 22nd at Qualifying School to earn conditional status on LPGA Tour in 2011

Follow Averyhardt career at http://www.shastagolf.us

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida — Two measly strokes in 90 holes were all that kept Flint's Shasta Averyhardt from having full playing privileges on the LPGA Tour next season.

Averyhardt shot 7-over-par 77 Sunday in the final round of Qualifying School on LPGA International's Champions course to fall from a tie for eighth into a tie for 22nd. Averyhardt finished at 4-over-par 364. She would have tied for 20th with a score of 362.

The top 20 players are fully exempt next season while those in Averyhardt's category are exempt into the Monday qualifying tournaments and ...

Bramlett not the only African-American to earn Tour Card for 2011

On Sunday 24-year-old Shasta Averyhardt became the only African-American player to earn status on the LPGA Tour. Averyhardt will be just the fourth African-American woman in the 60 year history of the LPGA Tour to play as a member.

The rookie professional out of Flint, Mich., was on pace to finish inside the fully-exempt top-20 after a round of 67 on Saturday tied her for eighth. Averyhardt struggled through Sunday’s final round conditions but her 79 was good enough to keep her inside the top-30 (T22) and earn her LPGA Tour card through the Priority List Category 16.

Flint's Shasta Averyhardt trying to see bright side after making history at LPGA Tour Q-School

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida — Flint's Shasta Averyhardt made LPGA Tour history Sunday despite failing to earn full playing privileges for the 2011 season.

Averyhardt, 24, shot 7-over-par 79 in the fifth and final round of Qualifying School at LPGA International to fall from a tie for eighth into a tie for 22nd with a total of 4-over 364.
The top 20 finishers are fully exempt for 2011 and Averyhardt missed a playoff for the 20th and final spot by two shots.

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RELATED LINK: http://www.shastagolf.us/

S.C. State football schedule close to completion

With the date confirmed of a second game next season against a Division I opponent, the 2011 football schedule for South Carolina State is close to completion.

Visit Indiana University’s athletics website and it lists the Hoosiers playing host to the Bulldogs Sept. 17. Earlier this year, it was revealed the school was finalizing talks with Central Michigan for a tentative Sept. 3 season-opening game.

TENTATIVE 2011 S.C. STATE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
SEPT. 3 - at Central Michigan
SEPT. 10 - TBA
SEPT. 17 - at Indiana University
SEPT. 24 - TBA
OCT. 1 - FLORIDA A&M
OCT. 8 - at Norfolk State
OCT. 15 - at Bethune-Cookman
Oct. 22 - at Savannah State
Oct. 29 - DELAWARE STATE
Nov. 5 - at Howard
Nov. 12 - NORTH CAROLINA-CENTRAL
Nov. 19 - NORTH CAROLINA A&T

Report: CMU to open 2011 season against South Carolina State

The Central Michigan football team will open the 2011 season against Football Championship Subdivision opponent South Carolina State on Sept. 3, 2011, according to a report Wednesday by The (Orangeburg, S.C.) Times and Democrat.

The game marks the third consecutive time CMU will play its home opener at Kelly/Shorts Stadium against an FCS team. The Chippewas beat Hampton 33-0 on Sept. 2 in their first game of the season.

South Carolina State, an all-black school in Orangeburg, S.C., plays in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The Bulldogs finished the 2010 season 9-3 and 7-1 in the MEAC, clinching an FCS playoff berth for the third consecutive season. This will be the...

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Former Plant City star continues passion as college coach

Savannah State University's men's basketball team played Indiana University, one of the country's best known college basketball programs, live on ESPNU on Dec. 4. The Tigers lost, 79-57, but it marked the first prime-time televised game for Savannah State against a big-name opponent.

The loss dropped SSU's record to 1-9 on the season, but under the leadership of head coach Horace Broadnax, a former basketball star at Plant City High, the program is reaching new heights.

Marshall Men's Basketball Travels To Savannah State‎

Following its longest layoff of the season, the Marshall University men’s basketball team will take on Savannah State Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. in the Tiger Arena.

Marshall enters the game riding a three-game win streak following a 67-63 victory over James Madison last week in Huntington. Senior Tirrell Baines led the way for the Herd against the Dukes, scoring 17 points. He has also been a threat on the boards, hauling in 7.4 per game, top on the Herd. His average of 3.4 offensive rebounds per game puts him third in Conference USA.

Nigel Spikes had one of the top outings of his career, hauling in 13 rebounds, a career-high for the sophomore and the highest total for a Marshall player this season. Since the game against Chattanooga, Spikes has averaged 7.2 boards per game.

Marshall basketball: Presley has Herd ready for foes

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. -- Dino Presley knows all about Savannah State, Marshall's non-conference opponent tonight at 7 in the coastal Georgia city. Without pause, Presley, the Herd assistant basketball coach, can tell you about the Tigers' 1-2-2 zone defense, how leading scorer Jovanni Shuler "likes to put it on the floor," or even minutiae like the fact that third-leading scorer Joshua Montgomery is a lefty.

Presley, who is known for his recruiting acumen and lauded by Herd Coach Tom Herrion for his rapport with players, has been on scouting duties as Marshall (6-2) prepared for Savannah State (1-10).

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ECSU’s Jenkins first team All-America

Elizabeth City State defensive end Malcolm Jenkins was named to the first team Daktronics All-America team on Tuesday, becoming just the second Viking to be named to the Division II honor squad. Defensive back Howard Williams is the only other ECSU player to make the team. He was selected in 2004.

In the preseason, Jenkins was named to the Lindy’s All-America team and did not disappoint throughout the season.

Jenkins CIAA’s top defender

Just one Elizabeth City State football player made the All-Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association first team, but it was big one. Defensive end Malcolm Jenkins not only made the first team for the second year in a row, but he was also named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year.

“Malcolm did a lot of things good,” ECSU coach Waverly Tillar said. “He’s consistent most every game out and he gave the offenses we faced a fit.”

 Jenkins led the CIAA in sacks with 13 and tackles for loss with 18.5. The senior from Florence, N.J., led the Vikings with 27 quarterback hurries and was third on the team with 42 tackles.

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Videographer: SpeechlessQue

Videographer: knightstreetprod

2010 Walter Camp Football Championship Subdivision All-America Team

NEW HAVEN, CT – Three-time selection Mark LeGree (Appalachian State) headlines the Walter Camp Football Foundation 2010 Football Championship Subdivision All-America team. The team was selected by the head coaches and sports information directors of the Football Championship Subdivision schools and certified by the accounting and auditing firm, Marcum LLP.

A defensive back, Legree is just the third player to be a three-time Walter Camp All-America selection, joining former New Hampshire standouts, wide receiver David Ball (2004-2006) and quarterback David Santos (2005-2007).

Legree and repeat All-America linebacker J.C. Sherritt (East Washington) lead the defensive unit. Legree had five interceptions on the season, while Sherritt has totaled 125 tackles and three interceptions to lead the Eagles to a berth in this weekend’s FCS semifinals against Villanova.

The 2010 Walter Camp All-America defensive squad includes 10 players who are candidates for the Buck Buchanan Award, presently annually to the top defensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision.

On offense, lineman Ben Ijalana (Villanova) is a repeat All-American selection. Ijalena has been a key part of a Wildcats’ rushing attack ranks in the top five in the nation. Placekicker Matt Bevins (Liberty) is also a repeat selection to the team. Bevins connected on 20-of-26 field goals and all 45 of his point-after kicks in 2010.

The quarterback is Jeremy Moses (Stephen F. Austin). A Walter Payton Award finalist, Moses led the Lumberjacks to the FCS quarterfinals. He passed for 3,998 yards and 34 touchdowns on the season.

Joining Moses in the backfield are Henry Harris (Southeast Missouri State) and Nate Eachus (Colgate). Harris has rushed for 1,735 yards and 18 touchdowns, while Eachus has totaled 1,871 yards and 21 touchdowns.

In all, players from twelve different conferences and 24 institutions were represented on the 2010 Walter Camp FCS All-America team. The Big Sky and Southern Conferences had the most selections with 4 selections each. The Colonial Athletic Association and Missouri Valley Conference each had 3. Two schools - Appalachian State and Stephen F. Austin (2) - had multiple players selected.

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2010 Walter Camp Football Championship Subdivision All-America Team

OFFENSE

Pos. Name, School Class Hgt Wgt Hometown

QB Jeremy Moses, Stephen F. Austin Sr. 6-0 195 Baytown, TX

RB Henry Harris, Southeast Missouri State Sr. 5-8 185 Memphis, TN

RB Nate Eachus, Colgate Jr. 5-10 216 Drums, PA

WR Tysson Poots, Southern Utah Sr. 6-3 220 Las Vegas, NV

WR Raymond Webber, Arkansas-Pine Bluff Sr. 6-3 220 St. Louis, MO

TE Andrew Kennedy, Columbia Sr. 6-3 242 Westport, CT

OL Ben Ijalana, Villanova * Sr. 6-4 320 Hainsport, NJ

OL David Arkin, Missouri State Sr. 6-5 302 Wichita, KS

OL Mike Person, Montana State Sr. 6-5 295 Glendive, MT

OL Johnny Culbreath, South Carolina State Sr. 6-6 310 Monroe, GA

C Ryan McKnight, South Dakota State Sr. 6-1 295 Sioux Falls, SD

PK Matt Bevins, Liberty * Jr. 6-2 185 Newport News, VA

DEFENSE

Pos. Name, School Class Hgt Wgt Hometown

DL Ameet Pall, Wofford Jr. 6-0 245 Montreal, Quebec

DL Kendrick Ellis, Hampton Sr. 6-3 280 West Palm Beach, FL

DL Jabari Fletcher, Appalachian State Sr. 6-3 265 Atlanta, GA

DL Martin Parker, Richmond Sr. 6-3 290 New Haven, CT

DL Brent Russell, Georgia Southern Soph. 6-2 287 Comer, GA

LB J.C. Sherritt, Eastern Washington * Sr. 5-10 220 Pullman, WA

LB Kyle Glazier, Western Illinois Sr. 6-1 220 Geneseo, IL

LB Matt Evans, New Hampshire Soph. 6-0 219 Hanover, MA

DB Mark LeGree, Appalachian State # Sr. 6-0 220 Columbus, GA

DB Eugene Clifford, Tennessee State Sr. 6-2 205 Cincinnati, OH

DB Moses Ellis, Prairie View A&M Jr. 5-8 175 Fort Worth, TX

DB Trumaine Johnson, Montana Jr. 6-3 197 Stockton, CA

P David Harrington, Idaho State Jr. 6-3 185 Huntington Beach, CA

KR Gralyn Crawford, Stephen F. Austin Soph. 5-10 175 Palestine, TX

* 2009 Walter Camp All-America selection

# - 2008 and 2009 Walter Camp All-America selection

Walter Camp, "The Father of American football," first selected an All-America team in 1889. Camp — a former Yale University athlete and football coach — is also credited with developing play from scrimmage, set plays, the numerical assessment of goals and tries and the restriction of play to eleven men per side. The Walter Camp Football Foundation — a New Haven based all volunteer group — was founded in 1967 to perpetuate the ideals of Camp and to continue the tradition of selecting annually an All America team.

Heishma Northern Named Prairie View A&M University Head Football Coach

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas - Prairie View A&M Director of Athletics Fred Washington announced that defensive coordinator Heishma Northern, who was named head coach in-waiting this past October, will become the 31st head coach in university history effective immediately. Northern will replace Henry Frazier III, who stepped down as head football coach this afternoon to pursue other opportunities.

“These are exciting times on the “Hill” and we were definitely not looking forward to separating from Coach Frazier,” said Washington. “He brought our football team to a point of stability on the field and in the classroom and you just can’t ask a coach for any more than that. He came to Prairie View and did what we asked him to do and we will always appreciate him. He is and will always be a Panther.”

Frazier leaves Prairie View as the second-most successful head coach in school history with a Prairie View A&M mark of 43-30 during his seven-year span. During his tenure, Frazier captured the school’s first Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship since 1964 in 2009 and has guided the Panthers to four consecutive winning seasons. Named the 2009 Eddie Robinson Award winner as the top coach on the Football Championship Subdivision level, Frazier leaves behind a program that has become a consistent contender in the SWAC and on the FCS ranks.

A 14-year veteran on the collegiate level, Northern has moved the Prairie View A&M defense to new heights during his six-year tenure as the team’s defensive coordinator. Under his watch, Prairie View’s defensive unit has produced several All-Americans in addition to ranking near the top of several statistical categories on the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). As a result of the unit’s success, Northern was named the 2008 Division I-AA Coordinator of the Year by FootballScoop.com and has participated in the NCAA Champions Forum and NCAA Expert Coaches Academy. He has also completed an NFL training camp internship with the Oakland Raiders.

“Northern is just one of those guys who you would never really know is in the room but he knows the game of football and has been a big part of our success,” added Washington. “He’s our guy now and we are excited about opening up the 2011 season giving him this opportunity.”

A native of Baton Rouge, Northern is a 1996 graduate of Southern University with a degree in mathematics. He began his coaching career at Glen Oaks (La.) High School before moving on to the collegiate level at Morehouse College under former NFL standout Doug Williams. After a stint at Morehouse, Northern moved on to Grambling State with Williams and spent seven seasons there as the team’s defensive coordinator, defensive backs coach, running backs coach and special teams coordinator. Northern has collected a total of five SWAC Championships with one coming as a player in 1993 and four as a coach (2000-2003, 2009).

“I’m happy for the opportunity to become head coach at Prairie View A&M University,” said Northern. “Being a head coach on the collegiate level was one of the goals I’ve set since entering the coaching profession and I plan to go above and beyond while carrying out my goal. I also want to thank Coach Frazier for allowing me to work alongside him for six years as he was more than just a head coach. He was very good administrator who taught me more than Xs and Os as he believed in letting his coaches do the jobs they were assigned to do.”

Northern, who also holds a master’s in Sports Administration from Grambling State, is the oldest of three siblings and is married to the former Paula Duell of Baton Rouge, La. Together, they have one son, Adam (3).






Videographer: ProfessorSea

Press Release 12/14/2010
Ryan McGinty
Interim Sports Information Director
Prairie View A&M University
P.O. Box 519, Mail Stop 1500
Prairie View, Texas 77446
rjmcginty@pvamu.edu
http://sports.pvamu.edu
http://twitter.com/PVAthletics
www.facebook.com
(Search for Prairie View Panthers)

Prairie View coach Frazier steps down; defensive coach elevated

Coach Henry Frazier III is considering offers from Delaware State, North Carolina Central and Howard University in the MEAC. Sources from Washington D.C. have confirmed Frazier will accept the NCCU offer.

When Henry Frazier III arrived at Prairie View A&M in December 2003, he was tasked with turning around a program that lost an NCAA-record 80 games from 1989-98 and hadn’t had a winning season since 1976. Seven years, a conference championship and four consecutive winning seasons later, Frazier is ready for a new challenge and a chance to move closer to his hometown.

Frazier stepped down Monday after seven years at the Prairie View helm to pursue other coaching opportunities. Sixth-year defensive coordinator Heishma Northern, who was named the Panthers’ coach-in-waiting on Oct. 13, will succeed Frazier.

A person familiar with the situation said Frazier will accept the head coaching position at North Carolina Central...

Frazier Steps Down at Prairie View

HOUSTON, TX - Prairie View A&M athletics director Fred Washington told FOX 26 Sports Monday head football coach Henry Frazier has stepped down for personal reasons. Washington said Heishma Northern, the Panthers head coach-in-waiting, is Prairie View's new head football coach.

In 2009 Frazier led the Panthers to their first SWAC championship since 1964. Because of that success Frazier was named the SWAC Coach of the Year. Frazier also won national honors in 2009 when he was named the Eddie Robinson Award winner given to the coach-of-the-year in the Football Championship Subdivision.  Frazier was the first coach from the SWAC or a historically black college or university to win the Eddie Robinson Award which is given annually to the top coach in the FCS.

Frazier likely Eagles' next coach

DURHAM -- N.C. Central may have a new football coach.

The NCCU Board of Trustees will hold a specially called meeting by private teleconference on Thursday at 2 p.m. with one agenda item -- head football coach. NCCU athletic director Ingrid Wicker-McCree is listed by the agenda item and will make a presentation to the board.

The Houston Chronicle reported Tuesday morning that Prairie View A&M coach Henry Fraizer III resigned on Monday, and he likely would accept the head coaching position at NCCU. Frazier had three years remaining on his contract at Prairie View.

Wicker-McCree did not return a call for comment Tuesday.

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Fayetteville State women's basketball team heads for Hawaii

Eva Patterson-Heath's road to success made up a relatively short trip when she led her Fayetteville State women to a CIAA tournament title in her first season as head coach last year. This year, off to an 0-5 start, the Lady Broncos will go considerably further in search of the team's first win of the season.

Today, the team sets off for Hawaii to play in the Honolulu Hoop 'N' Surf Classic as one of 14 teams in a field comprised of NAIA and NCAA Division II and III schools.
With two games scheduled in the tournament -- the first Wednesday against BYU Hawaii and another Thursday against Hawaii Pacific -- the Broncos have a pair of chances at a W.

The trip has been in planning since...



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Hampton U's Rose gets multi-year extension

Hampton University Pirates Coach Donovan Rose

Hampton University has announced a multi-year contract extension for football coach Donovan Rose, who is 11-11 in two years as the Pirates' head coach and coming off a 6-5 season. The university wouldn't release terms or length of the contract.

Rose, an 18-year assistant with the Pirates and a 1979 graduate of HU, replaced Jerry Holmes before the 2009 season. Holmes, another former Pirates assistant, went 6-5 in one season after replacing longtime coach Joe Taylor, now the head coach at Florida A&M who was 136-49-1 in 16 seasons at Hampton, winning Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championships from 2004-2006, before leaving in 2007.

"Coach Rose has worked relentlessly to return our football program to its glory years, and ...

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SWAC champion TSU returns home to hero's welcome

The Texas Southern Tigers received a hero’s welcome one day after winning their first Southwestern Athletic Conference championship since 1968.

The Tigers arrived at TSU’s HP&E Arena on Sunday night and were greeted by a small group of cheering fans and members of the media who had seen them beat Alabama State 11-6 on Saturday afternoon in Birmingham, Ala. For the Tigers (9-3), it was a fitting end to an amazing weekend.

Cole makes case for TSU: Black college national title to be awarded this week

Texas Southern accomplished its primary goal by capturing the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship with Saturday’s 11-6 victory over Alabama State in the league title game. Coach Johnnie Cole, however, believes his squad should also be considered for the black college national championship.

The Tigers (9-3) were ranked fourth in the previous Sheridan Broadcasting Network black college football poll with 192 points, behind Albany State (276), Bethune-Cookman (253) and Grambling State (228), which they beat Nov. 11. TSU will likely have passed Grambling when the final ranking is released early this week, but it would hard-pressed to leap the other two teams.

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Herd women falter late in 57-53 loss to North Carolina A&T

HUNTINGTON, WV -- It was only fitting that the last set play of the Marshall University women's basketball game Saturday was a turnover. On a night when Marshall and North Carolina A&T combined for 53 turnovers, the Aggies used a 17-6 run over the last nine minutes of the game to earn a 57-53 win over the Thundering Herd. A crowd of only 189 in Cam Henderson Center saw the Herd drop to 2-6.

"I think we turned it over about every way you can and we didn't play tough down the stretch when we needed to," Marshall coach Royce Chadwick said. "We just didn't execute as well as I would have hoped at this stage of the game." Marshall had several chances to win down the stretch but didn't come up with points when needed.

Gallery: Marshall Women's Basketball vs North Carolina A&T

Marshall Women's Basketball Falls Short Against North Carolina A&T, 57-53

Marshall’s Tynikki Crook posted her third double-double of the season with a game-high 25 points and 12 rebounds but it wasn’t enough to push the Herd past North Carolina A&T, 57-53, in Saturday night’s non-conference women’s basketball game at the Cam Henderson Center.

The Thundering Herd drops its second-straight, falling to 2-6 on the season while the Aggies improve to 3-4 and grab its first-ever win against MU bringing the series to 2-1 in favor of the Herd.

In a battle of two win teams, both struggled to gain control early combining for three turnovers in as many possessions. The Herd shot 14-of-20 from the field, 70%, in the opening stanza to grab a 33-30 advantage at the break.

Aggies Knock Off Marshall

HUNTINGTON, WV - North Carolina A&T used its strongest defensive performance of the season to defeat Marshall 57-53 Saturday night in women's basketball action at the Cam Henderson Center. Freshman Sabre Proctor led the Aggies with 15 points on 6-for-10 shooting. The Aggies shot just 31. 8 percent for the game but forced the Thundering Herd into 34 turnovers.

"Defense definitely won this game,'' said N.C. A&T head coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs. "We played extremely hard and kept our composure throughout the entire game."

N.C. A&T trailed 47-40 with nine minutes remaining. Jaquayla Berry capped a 10-2 run with a layup that gave the Aggies a 50-49 with four minutes to play. Layups by Nikia Gorham and Proctor put the Aggies ahead by three.

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SWAC Championship Game: Big defense, backup QB deliver Texas Southern victory against Alabama State

After Texas Southern secured the school's first outright SWAC title Saturday afternoon, coach Johnnie Cole didn't need to institute a 24-hour rule. Twenty years will be ample time to let an 11-6 victory against Alabama State sink in.

"I told the guys, 'You won't understand what you've done until you're my age, 20 years from now,' " Cole said. " 'You're the best team in Texas Southern history. You've taken the SWAC championship.' "

Playing at Legion Field, before a crowd of 22,350 fans, Texas Southern (9-3) turned to something old - Division I-AA's second-ranked defense - and something new - backup quarterback Riko Smalls -- to take home the trophy.

Photos from Birmingham



Cole has look of a winner

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Johnnie Cole wanted to be under this hot light, in this spotlight, for a long time. He used to sit in his dorm room at Texas Southern in the early 1980s, when he was a quarterback on teams that never once posted a winning record, thinking he could one day coach the Tigers to a Southwestern Athletic Conference championship.

Several times the school told Cole he could not do that and instead hired men who would fail to do what Cole was certain he could. It was painful for him to watch from afar, as he trekked around the college coaching landscape for more than 20 years, all the while dreaming of one day becoming a championship coach for the Maroon and Gray. Saturday was that day.



SWAC Championship football game at Legion Field

Texas Southern tops Alabama State, wins 1st SWAC title since 1968

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—Prairie View A&M did it last year. This season, it was Texas Southern’s turn to rise from longtime cellar dweller to Southwestern Athletic Conference champion. The Tigers earned their first SWAC title since 1968 on Saturday behind coach Johnnie Cole’s swarming defense and backup quarterback Riko Smalls, holding off Alabama State 11-6 at Legion Field.

"I’ve been waiting on this job for over 20 years," said Cole, who played quarterback at Texas Southern in the mid-1980s. "I’ve been in the business for 24 (years) and I always wanted to come back to Texas Southern and get us to this championship."



Tigers Roar: TSU Wins SWAC Title

Birmingham, Ala. - Texas Southern did Saturday what it has done all year. The Tigers rode on the strength of their defense and wound up with a SWAC championship to show for it. TSU defeated Alabama State 11-6 at Legion Field in the 2010 Farmers Insurance SWAC Football Championship Game.

The toughest defense in the SWAC, and #2 ranked in the nation, and led by SWAC Defensive Player of the Year and SWAC Championship Game Defensive MVP, Dejuan Fulghum, the Tigers held the Hornets to 72 total yards and an average of just 1.7 yards per play. The "212" defense, named for the boiling point when water turns to steam, even scored two points of its own.

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ATTENDANCE: 22,350

Ammons, Taylor have FAMU football team walking stage

Little of what Joe Taylor tells his football players when they show up in the spring changes during the years. At some point in the conversation, he'll tell them if they don't attend classes they won't play for him. His reason is this: If a student-athlete commits to the classroom he will show the same commitment on the field. Frankly, Taylor says, it's about trust.

"You cannot have a relationship if there isn't trust involved," Taylor said. "I can't help you and you can't help me if we can't trust each other."

It's a philosophy that has worked well for Taylor, especially at Florida A&M where a record number of football players are graduating from the program. Taylor has gotten a lot of help from FAMU president James Ammons, who has made the Rattlers' athletic program top priority since becoming president three years ago.


Videographer:FAMUSPORTS

Olaves rebuilding FAMU swimming program

The stoic look on Jorge Olaves' face was a good sign that he wasn't joking as he stared at the list of records set over the past eight years by Florida A&M swimmers, then made a very bold statement. "I want to break all those records," he said emphatically. "All those records."

That from a man who took over the men's and women's teams for a second time with a handful of swimmers and without a home pool. But he said he's seeing progress as his swimmers are dropping their times and he's getting overseas inquiries from potential recruits.

All he needs is time, said Olaves, who coached the Rattlers from 1997 to 2002. Back then, he started with five swimmers and had a men's and women's squad of 35 when he left the program.

Stevens stepping into leadership role for Rattlers

Defenders were all around Amin Stevens early in the second half as Florida A&M was in the midst of a run. Stevens got enough clearance to sink a layup that trimmed Bethune-Cookman's lead to one. The Rattlers scored on their next possession to go up by one point for their only lead in the game, which they eventually lost. But with every touch of the ball, Stevens tried to deliver.

"I just try to make plays for everybody," he said. "I drive to the goal and if anybody collapses on me I just kick it out for the open shot. But I'm looking to score more than I did last year."




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Ned, longtime Southern assistant trainer, dies at 53

Terrence Graves was hard at work Friday night in Itta Bena, Miss., when his cell phone practically fell off the table, ringing with calls and text messages from old friends from Southern University. Graves, the former Southern defensive coordinator, knew that was bad news.

His worst fear about a longtime friend was true: Assistant trainer John Ned, a fixture at Southern University for the better part of four decades, died late Friday night from cancer at 53, leaving behind friends and family who were saddened by the loss and stunned by how quickly his life ended.

“He and I became like family, so it’s kind of rough right now,” said Graves, now coaching at Mississippi Valley State. “I want to remember Ned like he was — healthy and happy.”

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Salley gets 20 as Claflin drops Fort Valley State

The outside was cold and rainy, but inside the Jonas T. Kennedy Health and Physical Education Center, things heated up between two SIAC rivals.

As the Claflin University Panthers (5-3) (4-2) stopped the Fort Valley State Wildcats in their tracks with a 71-58 victory. The Panthers went into the break leading by five points, 30-25, shooting a blistering 65 percent (11-17) from the field and going 7-9 from the free throw line for 78 percent to keep the Cats at bay.


Efe Odigie scored eight points and Eric Salley scored seven points in the first stanza for the Panthers. Desmond Lofland, Detritus McCall, and Brandon Davey each scored five points for Fort Valley at the midway point.

Claflin Lady Panthers fall to Fort Valley State Lady Wildcats

The Lady Wildcats of Fort Valley State are the preseason favorites to capture the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship. The Claflin University Lady Panthers got an up-close look at the Lady Wildcats Saturday afternoon, and what to expect this season.

The Lady Wildcats upped their league mark to a perfect 4-0 with a 72-54 win over the Lady Panthers at the Edward L. Tullis Arena on the Claflin University campus. The victory also improved the Lady Wildcats to 6-3 overall, while the Lady Panthers fell to 2-3 in conference play and 2-5 for the season.

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SWAC Championship: Title game is rematch for Alabama State University and Texas Southern

Television: 1 PM CT, ESPN Classic

Internet: ESPN3.com

Much has changed since an early October meeting between Al­abama State and Texas Southern. The quarterback situations are more stable. The coaches are bet­ter settled. The one constant: Texas South­ern's fierce defensive line contin­ues to terrorize.

"Their D-line is tops in our con­ference, and shucks, I'd put them up there with anybody else in any other conference," Alabama State coach Reggie Barlow said this week. "They get to the quarterback and they get a lot of sacks."

For Alabama State to win its first Southwestern Athletic Conference title since 2004 when the two teams meet today at 1 at Legion Field, its offensive line must con­tain Texas Southern, the nation's leader in sacks and tackles for loss per game.

TSU: QB Arvell Nelson Will Not Be Allowed to Play in SWAC Title Game

Birmingham, Ala. - FOX 26 Sports has learned the Texas Southern Tigers will play Alabama State in the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship game Saturday without starting quarterback Arvell Nelson. TSU athletics officials have chosen not to allow Nelson to play.

In a statement from the school's athletics department, released to FOX 26 Sports, TSU explained its position, but did not go into detail.

"Texas Southern University has discovered issues regarding TSU quarterback Arvell Nelson and his ability to participate in the SWAC Championship game. Because of concerns, the university has decided not to allow Nelson to play in the game. "This will be the only comment released by Texas Southern and its representatives on this issue at this time.



Cole eager to turn the page, hopes to lead Tigers to SWAC title

BIRMINGHAM, Al. - Texas Southern coach Johnnie Cole closed the chapter between him and Alabama State back in October when the Tigers downed the Hornets in Montgomery. Cole and his brother, L.C., had been fired by ASU officials following the 2002 season and he had never gotten over it.

After TSU downed ASU 21-7 back on Oct. 2, Cole said he no longer had an ax to grind. That was the before the Tigers and Hornets won their respective divisions in the Southwestern Athletic Conference and qualified for today's championship game at Legion Field. Kickoff is 1:05 and the game will be carried live on ESPN Classic.



TSU's shot at SWAC title a long time coming

Championship would be first in SWAC since 1968

At one point during Tuesday's send-off for Texas Southern, the seniors were allowed to address the energetic crowd of fans assembled at Durley Field on the TSU campus. When linebacker Dejuan Fulghum's turn came, he spoke for an entire class of seniors that previously could only dream of competing for a Southwestern Athletic Conference championship.

"We've come a very long way," said Fulghum, this year's SWAC Defensive Player of the Year. "I've been here since the bad days, the 0-11 days. "There isn't any more of that at TSU."

The Tigers (8-3) ensured their former losing ways were a thing of the past by winning their final seven regular-season games to earn the program's first SWAC Western Division title and the right to challenge Alabama State (7-4) for the league championship today at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala. One of those final seven wins was a 21-7 decision over Alabama State on Oct. 2.

TSU's Fulghum receives SWAC's top defensive honor



Cole named coach of the year

Texas Southern’s Dejuan Fulghum and Johnnie Cole hauled in two of the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s biggest honors when they were named Defensive Player of the Year and Coach of the Year, respectively, on Friday.

Fulghum, a senior linebacker, led the SWAC in sacks (nine) and was third in tackles (91) and tied with three others for sixth in tackles for loss (15). He also recorded an interception and two forced fumbles while helping TSU finish the regular season with the Football Championship Subdivision’s No. 2 defense.

“It’s a tremendous honor,” Fulghum said. “It was one of my individual goals as a player coming into this year, but I also have to attribute this award to our team’s success.”

With look of a champ, TSU vies for SWAC crown today

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Tyler native Willie Hopkins came to Texas Southern University in 1953 to get an education, to play football and baseball - student athletes had to play two sports in those days to earn a scholarship — and to be part of a budding but already strong winning tradition.

Killeen-born Dejuan Fulghum came to TSU in 2007 to get an education, to play football — he didn't have any other college scholarship offers — and to be part of a program in which winning was an unfamiliar concept.

Hopkins joined a team that was the defending Negro national college champion. Fulghum, who was named the Southwestern Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year on Friday, started every game as a freshman on a team that played 11 games and lost 11 games.

Johnnie Cole Named Coach of the Year



BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Texas Southern coach Johnnie Cole was named the SWAC Football Coach of the Year as announced by the league office on Friday.

Cole has led his alma mater to its first-ever SWAC Championship Game berth and the first 8-win season at Texas Southern since 2000. The Tigers can tie the school record with a 9th win Saturday. Cole is finishing his 3rd season at TSU with a record of 18-16 with the Tigers. He is 33-32 in his 6th season as head coach for his career.

Solomon: TSU QB takes wrong turn, then finds his way

Arvell Nelson knows trouble when he sees it. He could look at an older brother, now in prison, or his best childhood friend, now on the same Ohio cell block as his brother, and see where street life would inevitably take you. No one thought Nelson would go that route.

But for some reason, after he had realized one of his dreams — becoming a scholarship athlete at a Big Ten school — Nelson started slipping.

The Cleveland native posed in silly but infamous photos posted on Facebook of teammates and him holding up cash and bottles of liquor. A few months later, in the spring of 2008, the then-19-year-old redshirt freshman was arrested for misdemeanor marijuana possession and dismissed from the University of Iowa, where he would have contended for the starting job at quarterback that next season.

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Howard University Starts Over With Sports

The Bison's new athletic director, Skip Perkins, wants to turn things around.

Skip Perkins became athletic director at Howard University on Monday—a month earlier than scheduled. Perkins explained that he showed up ahead of schedule because there’s “a lot to do.”

Yup, there is a lot. Howard’s major sports have done a lot of losing for a lot of years. President Obama gave the school its greatest athletic exposure in forever last month by attending the men’s basketball team’s season opener against visiting Oregon State (a team coached by Craig Robinson, Michelle Obama’s brother). With the spotlight shining, Howard lost by double-digits. The team is now 1-7 under first-year coach Kevin Nickelberry, who replaced Gil Jackson, who somehow lasted five seasons despite losing at least 20 games every year and posting a 37-118 overall record.

Howard hasn’t won a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title or been invited to the NCAA tournament in nearly two decades. For a school located in a city with as great a pool of basketball talent as any in the country, such chronic losing seems impossible and wrong.

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WSSU's Hayes says he is eager for Legacy Weekend

Winston-Salem State has a long and deep basketball tradition, and Athletics Director Bill Hayes wants the younger generation to know about it. Hayes has planned a “homecoming-like event” on Jan. 21-22 to highlight that tradition and to bring it to life.

Past greats such as Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, Cleo Hill and Ted Blunt are expected to attend the school’s first Legacy Weekend — an event Hayes hopes to hold annually to showcase the accomplishments of WSSU’s basketball greats.



Rams Legacy class

• Ted Blunt (1962-65): Played on 1963 CIAA championship team; third-team NAIA All-America in 1964.

• Jack DeFares (1955-57): Known as the “Kangaroo Kid,” helped Rams to 1957 CIAA title; All-CIAA three times.

• George Foree (1959-62): Along with Cleo Hill, helped WSSU to CIAA titles in 1960 and ’61; NAIA third-team All-America.

• Cleo Hill (1958-61): Considered by many to be the best player in WSSU history; first-team NAIA All-America in 1961; first-round NBA Draft pick by the St. Louis Hawks in 1961.

• Earl Monroe (1964-67): All-time scoring leader in CIAA history (2,935 points); helped WSSU win the 1966-67 Division II national championship; NBA Hall of Famer; voted one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history.

• Chellia Nelson (1994-97): All-CIAA three times; ranks No. 3 in WSSU women’s basketball history with 1,434 points.

• Carolyn Huntley (1984-87): Only women’s player in school history to be All-CIAA four straight years; school’s career scoring leader (1,617 points).

“We want to hang those jerseys up here in the Gaines Center,” Hayes said. “As you see, we have that one tiny Earl Monroe jersey up there, and that’s it. It’s too small, so we feel like it’s important to let the young kids see the great ones that played here before.”

WSSU has 23 banners hanging in the Gaines Center, all marking team accomplishments such as CIAA titles, NAIA titles and the 1966-67 NCAA Division II national championship. The jerseys that will eventually...

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SWAC honors North Carolina A&T's Cage-Bibbs with Lifetime Award

The Southwestern Athletic Conference Alumni Association will honor N.C. A&T women's basketball coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs with a Lifetime Achievement Award tonight in Birmingham, Alabama.

Cage-Bibbs will not be in attendance because the Aggies will be en route to Huntington, W.Va., to face Marshall on Saturday, but NFL Super Bowl MVP quarterback and fellow Grambling alumnus Doug Williams will accept the honor on Cage-Bibbs' behalf.

In her 26th season as a head coach, Cage-Bibbs has more than 470 wins in stints at Grambling State (13 seasons), Hampton (seven seasons) and N.C. A&T (six seasons).

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